Welcome Coffee is one of the major cash crops in Brazil and Minas Gerais stands as the state with the largest coffee production, being responsible for about half of the national production. The southern region of Minas Gerais has the largest area of coffee in the state and in Brazil, corresponding to 25% of the national production. In this region was installed the National Institute for Coffee Science and Technology (INCT- Café), with the financial support of CNPq, Fapemig and Capes, aiming at the integration of inter-institutional knowledge in order to induce the competitive development of the coffee agribusiness in Brazil, as a whole. |

This new model of research management creates specialized units for shared use at the same time that it strengthens sector activities. Resources are not divided but applied in structures with elevated installation and maintenance costs, thus rationalizing the application of public resources and contributing to strengthen the research integration at national and international levels.

In this context, we would like to emphasize the cooperation well established between the INCT- Café and the Pole of Excellence on Coffee, also headquartered at the Federal University of Lavras, UFLA. Through this agency of the Minas Gerais State Government, an important integration strategy to the INCT-Café was activated, involving institutions such as UFLA, EPAMIG, EMBRAPA, and Pró-Café Foundation, among others.

The INCT-Café seeks to secure Brazilian coffee production, by means of generating sustainable technology, developing models adapted to the specialized systems of production, improving the quality and competitiveness of the coffee production chain, as well as making the online coffee trading viable. In order to achieve these goals, the development of a scientific and technical research basis is proposed, to provide innovative products, services and market studies.

Some of the research lines presented in the proposal have a great potential to generate patents and technological products. In this aspect, genes related to coffee rust resistance, tolerance to drought, seed quality and beverage quality have the potential to be patented. There is also a great potential to register patents and carry technological transfers for bioinducers of resistance to diseases and bioproducts to protect coffee beverage quality.

Please, find out more, going through this Annual Activity Report.

Prof. Mário Lúcio Vilela de Resende, Ph.D.

Coordinator INCT-Café